Reinstalling OSX Problems

I am in need of reinstalling OSX and i'm trying to boot up from the Install disk to get to Utillities to wipe the heardrive clean and reinstall. (Too much "Junk" build up. Need to start fresh.)
I'm holding down "C" key and it is not booting from the disc. I hold down the Apple button and the Disc is not given as an option to boot up from.
Currently i'm trying from both the "Harddrive Test" disc and "Install 1" disc. Neither work.
I have the Dual Intel iMac with both Windows (using up only 5 Gig) and MacOSX. I bought the computer a year ago, and I have not wiped a Mac harddrive in a 'long' time. (Since i owned my G3 iBook).
What can I do? Do I need to find copies of new discs? or am I even using the right ones?
Thx in Advance,
Arie
iMac Mac OS X (10.4.8) Dual Intel

hi there
can you help i have an i mac g3 in blue with a 550mhz ppc, 256ram and a 120 gb hd. i had mac os x tiger running sweet on the system (did a erase and install on install) then upgraded to 10.4.8. then it all went wrong after my girlfriend had a go.. i thought i could fix whatever it was by re installing but that didnt work. i now cant start or find the hd on the computer but do have the install screen saying i need to update my frimware before i can install tiger. in disk utility on install page the unknown and hdd drive are there but after restore and verify it still wont go.and i dont think it has 9 classic on the computer please help.

Similar Messages

Reinstall OSX Problem

My daughter has an Intel iMac early 2006. Upgraded to Leopard early 2008. While doing a routine update, power was cut. On rebooting, computer never got past screen with spinning ball. Using grey install disks, my daughter used disk utility to check disk. No problem, but computer refused to reboot. Finally, she reinstalled OSX Tiger using grey install disks but discovered that all of her data, folders, and programs had gone (e.g. no Final Cut, etc). She has some folders backed up on an external drive but not all.
Question: Are the data/programs that she had before now irretrievable? Will she need to reinstall all the additional software (FC, Office for MAC, etc) or is it still there and she can't see it? Will Disk Warrior be able to retrieve the lost data?

Welcome to Apple Discussions!
Disk Warrior typically only repairs the directory.
To recover lost data you need Prosoft Data Rescue, or Subrosasoft Filesalvage and a Firewire external hard drive at least as large as your internal drive.
Check for content inside any Previous System folder. It may be stuck in there. Applications you can't find should be installable from their original system discs. If those discs are lost, contact the vendor who created those applications for replacement discs. Those discs may cost money, but typically less than full retail.

Macbook air, reinstall osx problem

I have a mac air early 2008, the hard drive broke so i got it replaced, now i need to install OSX.
I have created a flash with OSX bootable, created with mavrik app.
When i hold downt he option key to select boot from usb, it only shows the wifi option, no HDD, no usb, just wifi.
I try and hold down the keys from some of the boot commands and nothing seems to work other than the option key!
This is gettin very anoying as on windows i would just goto BIOS and chance start up drive, not so easy on a mac.
Thanks for you help
Davey

Wait... maybe you can use internet revcovery. That's the wifi icon....
OS X Internet Recovery
Mac models introduced after public availability of OS X Lion include the ability to start up directly from an Internet-based version of the OS X Recovery system. OS X automatically uses this feature when the Recovery System on the hard disk isn't available (such as when your hard disk encounters an issue, or when your hard disk has been replaced or erased). OS X Internet Recovery lets you start your Mac directly from Apple's servers. Starting up from this system performs a quick test of your memory and hard drive to check for hardware issues.
OS X Internet Recovery presents a limited interface at first, with only the ability to select your preferred Wi-Fi network and, if needed, entering a passphrase. Next, OS X Internet Recovery downloads and starts from a Recovery System image. From there, you are offered the same utilities and options as a local Recovery System.
Some computers that did not ship with OS X Lion or later installed may be able to add the ability to use Internet Recovery by applying a software update.

Reinstalling OSX Problems After Erasing HD

Hi all,
I'm in a tricky situation- I am preparing to sell my 2010 iMac (A1311) and so I have securely erased my hard drive using a 10.6 install disk. I was running Mavericks before erasing, but I didn't want my Apple ID associated with the computer when I sold it so I wanted to install 10.6. The computer worked perfectly before erasing, and the erasing process was smooth and with no problems.
Then I tried to restart the computer so I could install 10.6 on my newly formatted HD. However, after I hold the "option" key down when powering up and select the 10.6 Install Disk as my one and only boot-up option, I get stuck on the grey screen with the dark grey apple logo. I've tried several keyboard as well as an external disk drive and I'm getting the same results.
What could the problem be and how should I fix it? I can't access Disk Utilities because I can't get past the grey screen.
Again, I'm a little stumped because the iMac has no hardware problems and the disk worked perfectly on another machine earlier in the day.
Thanks!

What you tried should have worked and the disk is loading if you can see it with the option key held down. Try restarting while holding down the C key.
Selling old Mac
Selling old Mac (2)
Selling old Mac (3)
Selling old Mac (4) Apple support

I am having a problem reinstalling osx.

I am having a problem reinstalling osx. Disk utility reports the following disk errors:
1. Unused node is not erased.
2. Volume bitmap needs monor repair for orphaned blocks
I have tried verifying and repairing disks and get message that it cannot be repaired after 3 attempts. Anyone encountered anything like this?
Thanks,
Rich.

Clean the bottom of the installer disk carefully with a soft cloth and a little bit of rubbing alcohol to take off the fingerprints, don't touch the bottom or let it get damaged.
Once it's dry then stick it in the MacBook
Hold c and reboot off the installer disk and use Disk Utility under the menu to select the hard drive makers name, then Erase tab (format HFS+ journaled) Security Option > Zero All Data and click Erase....
This will erase all the partitions on the drive and also map off all bad sectors, takes some time.
Once done quit and use the installer to install OS X.
If it fails it could be the disk is bad.

HT1533 SSD PROBLEM: unable to reinstall osx and also failed in backup recovery.

Yesterday my MacBook Pro 2011 suddenly got hanged and freeze. And I have to restart system by hard shutdown. Then I faced this problem every time. I reset nvram but it did not work . Then I thought May be it's corrupt operating system I tried to reinstall new osx maverick from recovery mode but system freeze again during osx downloading process. I tried this 2 more times but the same problem occurred. Afterwards I deleted all ssd drive data in partitions but when I tried to unmount and delete the partitions here I was failed in unmounting partitions. But I deleted all data from all partitions.after this I tried again to reinstall osx but system hung after sometime. I also tried to recover from my time machine backup but the same problem happened and my system got freeze and I have to hard shutdown. I also did hardware diagnostic test which showed everything ok. Now I am realizing that my SSD got corrupt. Could you please help me what I should consider that can fix my problem. I also tried fsck and verify and repair the disk.

Devbird,
are you still able to boot into Recovery mode? If so, select Utilities from the menu bar and run Terminal from there. In the Terminal window, give it the following commands, one per line, separating each command by pressing the Return key at the end of each line:
diskutil list
diskutil cs list
mount
Please include in your reply the full output from these commands.

There are two iMacs connected through same router in my house but one refuses to login to facebook and other logged in sites. local techies are bemused, I have just reinstalled OSX and still have the problem. Login page recycles and no errors reported.

There are two iMacs connected through same router in my house but one refuses to login to facebook and other logged in sites. Local techies are bemused, I have just reinstalled OSX and still have the problem. Login page recycles, I get no further and no errors reported. Safari, Opera and Firefox. Deleted cookies and chain but still no action.

If you have not already done so, read the router's user manual troubleshooting section and/or contact its customer service department/forums.
If still having problems, post back w/details of all you have tried to resolve the problems along w/the troubleshooting solutions that the "local techies" had you try.

MAJOR HD PROBLEMS..disc cant be deactivated, trying to reformat and reinstall osx

As the title mentions, I cant seem to partition my HD in order to properly reformat and then reinstall osx..
I basically want a fresh new factory macbook with the original lion osx (dec 2011 macbook)..
Reasons why its not working out:
Macbook when turned on goes automatically in the options menu with reinstall os, DU, seek help online and set back a time machine backup (dont have)..
Already erased my hitachi 500 gb HD and the Macintosh HD partition a couple of times (on fastest way setting, and once in the 3 times overwrite setting which took 4 hours, not tried the safest 7 times overwrite way..)
Did a control disk with DU sometimes its fine and sometimes an error pops up saying it cant be fixed.
After trying to reinstall an os mavericks in this case, after 4 hours or 3andahalf it restarts itself in the same options menu (DU, reinstall, seek online help, time machine)..
Partitioning again wont work because the disk cant be deactivated. .
What to do guys? ?

In order to repartition the drive, you can't be using it as any kind of boot drive. That includes Recovery Mode since that is a hidden partition on the drive. So the OS won't let you remove the drive its currently started up to out from under yourself.
Restart in Internet Recovery Mode by holding down Command+Option+R so the Mac is running from the firmware. You'll get what looks like the same work screen as the regular Recovery Mode, but you'll be able to repartition and completely wipe the drive. Then install OS X. The version of OS X the Mac shipped with will be installed.
Do not upgrade it to any version of OS X past that, or the new owner will not be able to reinstall any upgrade since it would require your App Store ID and password to do so.
Already erased my hitachi 500 gb HD and the Macintosh HD partition a couple of times (on fastest way setting, and once in the 3 times overwrite setting which took 4 hours, not tried the safest 7 times overwrite way..)
For future reference, unless you're trying to protect classified government documents, or other highly sensitive data, there's no reason to do any more than a one pass erase. It takes expensive, specialized hardware and software to have even a slight chance of recovering data that has been written over even just once. There's no software consumers can buy that will recover anything from such a drive.

Problem in Downloading and Reinstalling OSX Lion via recovery HD

I am using MBP 13 inch late 2011. I have erased my Macintosh HD. Now trying to reinstall OSx 10.7 using Recovery HD. Mac is perfectly connected to Wifi, as soon as i click "Continue" to reinstall the Mac OsX 10.7, it shows me this message "To Download and Restore Mac OSx, your computer's eligibility will be verified with Apple."
I clicked "Continue"... But after few seconds of loading it showed me message "Could not fing Installation Information for this machine-Contact Apple Care"
Why is it so???
My mac is only 9 months old... And Im in Pakistan.
Need help or suggestion. How can I download and reinstall OSx again..
Thanks

You will need to contact AppleCare about this issue as we are just users to users here and can't authorize a account/download of OS X.
https://locate.apple.com/country

My 2009 MacBook Pro keeps restarting even after I wiped the hard drive and reinstalled OSX.

About a month ago, my laptop started to randomly turn off: I would be using either Chrome, Photoshop (the free CS2 version available from Adobe's website) or Powerpoint, and the screen would go blank. I would then have to hold the power button for a while until the little light at the front of the computer would flicker and it would restart. I brought it to the Mac Store where they tested it and said it looked fine. They suggested I erase my hard drive and reinstall OSX as a precaution.
Fast forward a month, I have been very busy with work and hadn't been able to fix this problem. It wasn't that bad, only once every couple of days, sometimes more, sometimes less, I could work despite this problem.
Then, I installed OSX Mavericks. The installation started in the morning, but, like an idiot, I paused it to go to work. Later on, I completed the installation, it looked fine, but then all day long my laptop would suddenly restart and go to a grey screen that said in multiple languages "Your laptop restarted because of a problem, press any button to continue the restart." A computer technician friend of mine checked it out and said it was probably due to the badly installed OSX and suggested that I erase my hard drive and reinstall OSX.
I backed up all my files, erased the hard drive and reinstalled OSX. Everything looked fine.
Then it happened again.
Any ideas of why this is happening?

Please read this whole message before doing anything.
This procedure is a diagnostic test. It’s unlikely to solve your problem. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.
The purpose of the test is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party software that loads automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, by a font conflict, or by corruption of the file system or of certain system caches.
Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards, if applicable. Start up in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. You must hold down the shift key twice: once when you turn on the computer, and again when you log in.
Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a Fusion Drive or a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to start up and run than normal, with limited graphics performance, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain models. The next normal startup may also be somewhat slow.
The login screen appears even if you usually login automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
Test while in safe mode. Same problem?
After testing, restart as usual (not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of the test.

Tried to reinstall OSX Mountain Lion 10.8.4 and every time i start with the installation i get a requested time out message, had to shut down my MacBook Pro retina. Now when i start up it automatically start internet recovery

tried to reinstall OSX Mountain Lion 10.8.4 and every time i start with the installation i get a requested time out message, had to shut down my MacBook Pro retina. Now when i start up it automatically start internet recovery for two ouers. After the internet recovery the same problem with reinstalling OSX message

Gave up on the GUI. This script derived from http://blog.netnerds.net/2012/07/os-x-how-to-setup-nat-on-lion-and-mountain-lion / seems to work for me:
gwdev=en0 # This is my WiFi connection (has Internet connection)
targetdev=en1 # This is the USB to Ethernet adapter (to give Internet connection)
/sbin/ifconfig $targetdev down
/sbin/ifconfig bridge0 create
/sbin/ifconfig bridge0 up
/sbin/ifconfig bridge0 addm $gwdev
/sbin/ifconfig bridge0 $HOST_ADDR
/sbin/route add default -interface bridge0 -ifscope bridge0 -cloning
/usr/sbin/sysctl -w net.inet.ip.forwarding=1
/sbin/ipfw add 100 divert natd ip from any to any via $gwdev
/usr/sbin/natd -interface $gwdev -use_sockets -same_ports -unregistered_only -dynamic -clamp_mss -enable_natportmap -natportmap_interface $targetdev

Cant reinstall osx lion on new hard drive

I recently have been having problems with my 2007 Macbook 2,1 (yeah, I know it's old but it works...or worked anyway) taking forever to boot up. So, I backed up all of my data to an external drive, erased the drive and then attempted to reinstall osx lion (which was the current os on the machine prior to erasing) via the internet recovery option as I no longer have the original start up disc. The progress bar gets all the way to the end and then just takes me back to the main OSX utilities page. Tried reformatting the drive again and same thing. So then I resorted to creating a bootable thumb drive. I booted back into OSX utilities via this drive and tried to reinstall this way only to get an error message that it cant download additional files needed to install osx.
Next up, I used a borrowed mac, redownloaded the OSX installer from the app store and installed it on an external drive. I then booted my machine from the ext. drive into OSX lion, downloaded the installer again and attempted to install it on to my HD only to get an error message that the file may be corrupt or may have been tampered with. At this point, i went to the Apple store. The guy ran some checks but ultimately was also unable to reinstall the os. He even tried going back down to 10.6.8. So he told me this was a sign that the hard drive was bad and that they have no way of actually diagnosing it on a machine that old.
So, I went and bought a new WD 320G internal drive to replace the "bad" one in the machine. I then went through all of the steps above again and still have had no luck getting the os back on the machine. So at this point I am at a total loss. Is the computer just dead or is there anything else I could possibly try?

Did you prep the new drive correctly? You also need to install Snow Leopard on the new drive and update it to 10.6.8.
Drive Partition and Format
1. Boot from your OS X Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
If you are preparing an external or a non-startup drive, then open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Apply button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Security button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
In the following you can skip the part for partitioning and formatting if you've done the above already.
Clean Install of Snow Leopard
     1. Boot the computer using the Snow Leopard Installer Disc or the Disc 1 that came
         with your computer. Insert the disc into the optical drive and restart the computer.
         After the chime press and hold down the "C" key. Release the key when you see
         a small spinning gear appear below the dark gray Apple logo.
     2. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue
         button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
         After DU loads select the hard drive entry from the left side list (mfgr.'s ID and drive
         size.) Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window. Set the number of
         partitions to one (1) from the Partitions drop down menu, click on Options button
         and select GUID, click on OK, then set the format type to MacOS Extended
         (Journaled, if supported), then click on the Apply button.
     3. When the formatting has completed quit DU and return to the installer. Proceed
         with the OS X installation and follow the directions included with the installer.
     4. When the installation has completed your computer will Restart into the Setup
         Assistant. Be sure you configure your initial admin account with the exact same
         username and password that you used on your old drive. After you finish Setup
         Assistant will complete the installation after which you will be running a fresh
         install of OS X. You can now begin the update process by opening Software
         Update and installing all recommended updates to bring your installation current.
Download and install Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1.

Cannot log into any GUI modes and need to reinstall OSX

Hi all,
I've been having issues with my iMac 27" i7 desktop which I purchased back in 2011 with OSX Lion.
I recently updated to OSX Mavericks and have some issues which I am trying to resolve.
I have been working through troubleshooting with the Apple Support team as it is still covered by the extended warranty that I purchased with the system. Unfortunately it appears that we have come to the end of their technical support capabilities and I have no resolution.   Here is a quick breakdown of the situation:
While doing some gaming in a Bootcamp copy of Windows 7 the computer froze and displayed a green screen with vertical lines and was unresponsive.
Rebooted the machine into OSX Mavericks (upgraded about a month ago from Lion) and after the Apple symbol and loading wheel, when the machine went to display my desktop it froze with a completely white screen.
Tried to reboot back into Windows 7 and when it went to display the desktop it went to a grey screen with vertical lines.
Called the Apple Support line who advised me how to log into Safe Mode.   This worked ok and then I rebooted into OSX properly and my desktop displayed albeit running very slow.
Backed up my data and then while doing some web browsing the computer locked up and went to a blank screen.
Called the Apple Support line who took me into Recovery Mode and got me to Verify the Disk and Verify Disk Permissions. Also advised me to run Apple Hardware Test.
Ran Apple Hardware Test and it said that there are "no problems"
Booted back into OSX which worked ok but still very slow.
During a data transfer the computer locked up with a black screen and the rainbow spinning wheel and was unresponsive.
After a few attempts I was able to log back in and complete my backup of crucial files.
Yesterday I went to boot the computer and it again gets to point after the Apple symbol and loading wheel where it would display my desktop and goes to blank screen. Apple Support advised that the next step for testing purposes is to format the HDD and reinstall OSX.
No matter whether I am trying to boot into OSX, Safe Mode, Recovery Partition or Internet Recovery (I have tried all numerous times) whenever it gets to a point where the GUI would be displayed the machine locks up and I get a blank white screen. I logged into Single-User Mode and ran a file system check which came up ok and I have run AHT again which came up ok as well, however considering that it doesn't matter where I boot to the same error occurs I believe that the issue is probably hardware related rather than software. I have also followed the instructions to clear the PVRAM
I have booted to OSX using Verbose mode and noticed that there are a number of SMC errors and other messages indicating that there may be some software issues, so I am trying to troubleshoot those before I take the machine to the Authorised Apple Repair Centre
I have created an OSX Mavericks Boot USB but that comes up with a white screen as well if I boot to it.
I'm not sure if it will help, but I can select my recovery partition (OSX Base System) during boot and load into single user mode there.   I'm curious whether (and how) to run diskutils from there to verify disk and permissions for my primary partition (lets call it "Lion"). Then erase the disk and reinstall OSX from my boot USB.

You have to start the miniSAP instance before you can log in to it.
On your desk top there should be an icon 'start SAP WA1' start that, and leave the DOS window running until you are finished.
If you get messages in the DOS window saying processes died check that MS loopback is running.
MattG.

Macbook Pro shuts down constantly, and rarely starts. Should I reinstall OSX?

Hi there,
I have a early 2011 Macbook Pro 17" with OSX Lion 10.7.5 and a bootcamp partition running Windows 7.
About three months ago some coffee was spilled on the keyboard, and afterwards was having some issues where it would shut down randomly. After a visit to my university's computer repair center, who told me there was a problem with the power button, and a visit to the local MacStore, who told me that the internals needed to be replaced for a whopping 1,300 dollars. I let the comupter sit for some time while I tried to figure out what to do. A few weeks ago I opened the machine up and cleaned areas where I could see coffee residue with 95% isopropyl alcohol. After letting dry for the evening, I started the computer up and it worked just fine for about two weeks.
Suddenly, when using the Windows operating system, it began shutting down when going to sleep. Following some advice on this site, I switched over to the Mac operating system and installed updates. On restart after the updates, the computer did not actually restart, and since, has started up to the grey screen with apple logo, makes a 'clink' sound and then shuts off. Rarely it actually starts to the desktop, and then 'clinks', goes black, and shuts off. When safe booting, and using the disk utility, it does the same thing. I have reset the SMC and the RAM.
When I am able to succesfully load the disk utility, it shuts down shortly after I begin the repair disk. I have tried this through the original install disk, and get the same results.
I haven't tried reinstalling, or erasing the hard drive and reinstalling OSX. I am worried about trying this as it seems like I might really screw stuff up if it shuts down in the middle of the reinstall or erasing. Am I correct about this?
Some posts here suggest that I need a firmware update of some sorts, but I do not see how I could do this if I cannot get the machine to start normall. Other solutions that might apply to this problem that I have found also strangely require the computer to actually be on and running.
Although I am willing to accept it, I have a hard time believing this is a hardware issue (e.g. logic board) related to the spill because of how long it ran without any problems.
I have been unable to get any sort of error report as well because of the shut down problem.
If anyone could help with my quesiton about reinstalling, and perhaps offer any other advice that doesn't involve me taking it to a MacStore I would greatly appreciate it. Its finals week and I could really use my laptop. It is a real pain being tied to a desktop.
Battery is fully charged, and does indeed charge.

Update on this: somehow the disk repair utility went through and I did a repair disk. There were no problems found. Computer worked fine for an hour, and then started asking me if I really wanted to shut down, which I did not. After doing this three times it made the characteristic 'clink', and shut off as described in my previous post.
Message was edited by: Njal1066

Not able to reinstall OSX Snow Leopard - broken hard drive?

Hi!
So I have the following problem, that I would like to have some help with.
Until recently my iMac (early 2008, 3.06 GHz Core 2 Duo, 2 gb ram, 24") has been running with OSX and Windows 7 in bootcamp. All of the sudden, I was not able to boot OSX; when trying to do this the computer stalls on a grey screen with a loading bar in the bottom (like this http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-10387698-263.html). I decided to reinstall OSX, but it was not possible. Everytime I tried to select the hard drive during installation the computer instantly goes into grey screen.
Being pretty stuck here, I then continued to formatting and reinstalling Windows 7. I have now been running RAM test and there are not visible problems. Also I am still not able to reinstall OSX even after a format. It leads me to think that the hard drive may be close to dying.
Does anyone have some similar experiences? Opinions?
Best regards, Mikkel

So, I decided to run some diagnostics:
I am not sure that I decipher the numbers correctly, but the four pre-failures on top seems threatening. Am I right?

Reinstalling OSX Problems

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